Electric switch.



R. C. COLE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I5, 1914. 1,159,361 Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

3 SHTQ'S-SHHT 1.

0. sons. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I5, 1914.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET'2- R. C. COLE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15. 1914.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT C. COLE, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR.TO THE JOHNS-PRATTCOMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

To allwhom it may concern;

ford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have inventeda n'ew and useful Improvement in Electric Switches, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of elec tric switches that have allof the operating parts inclosed within a metal casing which prevents anymalicious or inquisitive tampering with the circuits and also excludesgases so that any are formed when the circuits are opened will not causean explosion.

. The object of the invention is to provide a switch of this characterin which the stationary poles'or wire terminals mounted in.

the base of the casing'are connected or disconnected for closing andopening the C11- cuit by means of inclosed electric fuses of thecartridge type that are carried by the are, against the pull of springs,forced into contact with CllPS which formthe wire I terminals and whenthe lever is turned oppositely the springs are allowed to forciblywithdraw the fuse terminals from the clip terminals. The conductingpartsare sealed in the casing so as to. prevent explosion or tampering withthe circuit but while thus sealed the switch can be opened or closed atwill, and when it is necessary to renew fuses opening the cover of thecasing completely breaks the circuit so that the fuses may be handledwithout danger of short circuiting any parts or accident to theattendant.

Figure 1 of the accompanying, drawings shows a plan of the base of thecasing which contains the clips that form the circuit wire terminals,and a view looking into the opened cover of the casing-and showing theinclosed fuses therein which act as the movable 'blades of the switch.Fig. 2 shows a vertical section with the casing shut and the switchclosed. Fig. 3 shows a similar section with the switch open. Fig. 4shows a side view of the casing. Fig. 5 is a section of the covershowing the posts by which the inovable switch block is guided, also thearm, shaft and lever for closing the switch. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detailviews showing the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Application filed July 15, 1914. Serial No. 851,087.

relations of the operating lever and the arm which closes the switch andallows it to be opened quickly, at different times.

The casing of this switch is desirably made of cast iron witha basesection 1 and a cover section 2 that are desirably hinged together atone side by pintles 3. At the opposite side the parts may be securedtogether by the bolt 4 that is swiveled to the base and the nut 5that'turns on the bolt against a part of the cover. A packing 6 isarranged around the edge of the cover so as to insure a tight joint whenthe casing is closed. Insulating bushings 7 are placed in the openingsprovided for the entrance of the circuit wires.

Secured to the bottom inside of the base is an insulating block 8. Thisblock is desirably made of porcelain and has insulating barriers 9between the spring clips 10 of conducting material which forms thecircuit terminals. Connected with these terminal clips are bindingcollars 11 forthe attachmentof the ends of the circuit wires. The switchillustrated has six spring clips, three acting as terminals for theservice wires and three acting as terminals for the load wires ofathree-wire system. Of course one set of terminals'can be omitted if thedevice is to be used in a two-wire system.

Projecting downwardly from the top of the inside of the cover on eachside near the.

middle are two posts 12. Movable up and 14. Mounted on these blocks andprojecting downwardly "therefrom are fuse holding ears. The cars 15 haveslots for receiving the terminals 16'at one end of the inclosed fuses 17and the ears 18 have slots controlled by springlatches 19 for receivinthe terminals 20 at the other end of the incised fuses. The terminals ofthe fuses held by these ears which are attached to the insulating blockscarried by the movable frame in the cover are in alinement with thespring clips which are mounted on the insulating block in the base andto which the ends of the circuit wires are fastened.

In the cover near the top and extending transversely is a shaft 21. Thisshaft passes through the cover and on the outside has a lever handle 22.Fixed on this shaft in the cover is a collar 23 with a lug 24. Loose onthe shaft adjacent to the collar is an arm that has a'lug 26'whichisadapted to be en gaged thelug'j24c on the collar 23 that is fixed tothe shaft. The free end of the arm bears a roll 27' which is adapted toengage the upper surface 28 of the middle of the.

an eye 30 attached to the frame and their outer ends are connectedwithplugs 31 in the-cover. i. I

. When the handle lever is thrown to one side oneedge'of the lug '24 onthe collar I fastened to the shaft engages one edge. of

the lug 26 on the arm25'that is looseflon the shaft-and this .turns thearm so that the roll 27 will travel along the track 28 and force theframe down against thepull of the spiral springs and push the fuseterminals into the clipson the base, as shown in Fig. 2. When the handleis thrown over in the other direction the shaft turns freely until theother edge of the lug 24 on the collar engages the other edge of thelug.

26 on thearm and then the arm is moved back until after the roll-passesthe center at which time the springs draw up the frame. This action isvery quick for after the roll passes the center the arm is free tospring up away from the collar on the shaft. This carries the fuses toin Fig. 3. I

These switches-are especially serviceable for use in mines, mills andgarages and for the starting and controlling of alternating motors. Thecircuit parts are completely armored and can be sealed tightly so thatno gas or explosive substance can get inside. The parts are also soprotected that no one can tamper with the connections either out ofcuriosity or maliciousness, yet the switch can be'operated in a propermanner by any one; 'The. fuses form the movable switch blades and thesefuses can be easily and quickly placed in or removed from position forsubstituting live for dead fuses. Wheneverthe casing is opened forthe-substitution of fuses the circuit will of necessity be open so thatthere can be no danger of accident.

The invention claimed is: v

1. An electric switch having a casing con-' sisting of a basemember anda cover member, an insulating block lined in the base, conductorterminal clips mounted on the block, an insulating block supported byand movable in the cover,knife' blade inclosed fuses removably held bytheblock in the cover, the blades of said fuses being in alinement theclips in the base, means for forcing the insulating block inthe coverCopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

the position shown toward the insulating block in the base and causingthe engagement of the fuse blades with the clips and locking them insuch engagement, and springs which automatically retract the insulatingblock intothe cover and withdraw the fuse blades from the terminal clipswhen said locking means is released. I

2. An electric switch having a casing consistlng of a base member and acover member, an insulating block fixed in the base,

terminal clips mounted on. the block in the base, an insulating blocksupp'ortedby and movable in the cover, fuse blade clips 'mounted on theblock in the cover, knife blade inclosed fuses held by said fuse clipswith their'blades alined in a'plane passing through the clips on theblock in the base,

vposts supported by the cover for guiding the movments of the fuseblock, springs for retracting the fuse block into the cover; and meansfor forcing the fuse block down into the base and holding it thereagainst the pull of the springs. I

3. An electric switch having a casing consisting of a base member andacover member, an insulating block bearing terminal clips fixed in thebase, an insulating block carrying fuse clips supported by and movablein the cover, said fuse clips being alined in a plane passing throughthe terminal clips, posts for. guiding the movable block-in the cover,springs for drawing the block into the cover, a shaft extending throughthe cover, a handle on the outside of the cover, and an arm 'turned bybut having a limited movement on the shaft inside of the cover, saidarmbeing adapted to engage the fuse block and force it out of the coverand lock it against the pull of the springs when the handle is turned inone direction and when the handle is'turned in the other direction torelease theblock so that the springs will retract it.

4. An electric switch having a casing consisting of a base member and acover member, insulated terminal clips fixed in the base, a framesupported by and movable in the cover, knife blade inclosed fusesmounted on said movable frame in the cover with their blades inalinement with the clips in the base, means for moving the frame andROBERT 0. some.

I WVitnes ses DUNCAN C. Hoonnn, Ron'r. G. BUELL.

Washington, D. G."

causing the fuse blades in the cover to en-

